Method of knitting hosiery and circular knitting machine therefor



March 27,1945. B, T, QLE 2,372,554

RY AND CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE THEREFOR Filed July 14, 1942 11 Sheets-Sheet 1 //v VENTOR BERNARD T. COLE 4 and R o 2 M m H 2 T E N I H, C A M G N I T T I N K R A L U C R I C D N A Y R E I S o H G N I T T I N K F O O H T E M B. T. coLr-z 2 e e h s S t e e h S l 1 Filed July 14, 1942 //vvE/vr0/e BERNARD T. COLE Mme/viz March 27, 1945.

B. T. COLE METHOD OF KNITTING HQSIERY AND CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE THEREFOR Filed July 14,.1942 11 Sheets-sheaf. s"

//v VEN 70A? BERNARD T. COLE A rromzy March 27, 1945. B. T. COLE METHOD OF KNITTING HOSIERY ANI) CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE THEREFOR 11 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed July 14, 1942 //v vf/vro/e BERNARD T. COLE B; T. COLE 2,372,554 v March 27, 1945.

METHOD OF KNITTING HOSIERY AND CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE THEREFOR Filed Jilly 14, 1942- 11 Sheets-Sheet 5 wvwrak BERNARD T. COLE info/W04.

March 27,1945. g' 2,372,554

METHOD OI KNITTING HOSIERY AND CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE THEREFOR Filed July '14, 1942 11 Sheets-Sheet e BERNARD T. COLE 5y March 27, 1945.

B. T. COLE METHOD OF KNITTING HOSIERY AND CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE THEREFOR Filed-July 14, 1942 11 Shee1u5-Sheet8 Mrs/V7013 BERNARD T. COLE B.v T. COLE March 21, 1945.

METHOD 0F KNITTING HOS-IERY AND CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE THEREFOR Filed July 14, 1942 11 Sheets-Sheet 11 F/Gl 28.

wrmmk BERNARD T. COLE ATTM/VB/ Patented Mar. 27, 1945 UNITED; STATES PATENT OFFICE.

METHOD OF KNITTING HOSIERYAND CIR- CULAR KNITTINGIMACHINE THEREFOR?) I Bernard Thornton Cole, Burliage,- England; as-" Signor" to- B. '1 oone (Nottingham? Limited; Nottingham, England Application July 14, 1942;.S 1eriaLNo. 450,92a

' IniGreai; Britain March -'15, 1'94'1' on a' circular knitting. machine it has been the usu'al'practiceto knit theleg and. foot by rotation. but to producethe, heel, anditoe' pockets, by oscillation; The present invention comprises, a method. of producing; ,on a circular;knitting.m'a-

spaced. needles, at each. endiof the activeigrou-p of. needles producing; the, pocket may be changed. over, fromv inactivity to looprholding and vice.

versa (accordingjto whether narrowing. or widening; is being, efiected),

The invention further. includes. a circular knitting. machine, having a. needle b'edi andv relatively rotatable needle-operating and thread, feeding means, andneedles in. the, bed,. for knit? ting an article by rotation,. characterised by. means for producing. apocket having suture lines, in the article: during; rotational. knitting, said means comprising: meansfor causlng-reciprocally-varying'proportionsof the needles to (hold chine, a pocketin a rotationally-knitted.article wherein initial nd terminal courses, of knitting areproduced; on a circular or arcuate seriesof needl'esby rotation and between said courses reciprocally-varying.groups of needles are caused to, retain their loops and to knitv (thatifist'o say one group, of needles retains, its loops and an adjacent groupof needles knits and thenumber of needlesin the tiwogroups is variedireciprocally their loops and to continue i to .knit. during rotartion.

In order; that the invention-maybe; bettenunderstood reference; will now. be. made to. the ac.- companying drawings in which Figure: 1. shows theioot portionoi, a: stocking, sock; or the likewvithlheel; anditoezpo-uches according to this invention.

byfincreasiri one group'at the expense of the other); said reciprocal variation being efiected gradually throughout" successive courses of the pocket, whereby suture lines are produced' character'isedl in that said' reciprocal variation, and the accompanying; knitting of the pocket is ef fected' during. rotation. The, invention further includes a method of producing by rotation on aicircul'ar knitting, machine, a pocket in'a substantially tubular and'circular knit article,which comprises knitting at: least one course by rotation; on the circle or'arcuate series of'needles, thereafter during rotation excluding the; fed thread fromv a; progressively varying (i. e., decreasing" and increasing or increasing' and" decreasing), number of'the needles and causing the varyin number of needles from which the thread is excluded to hold their'loopsuntil'they resume knittingw activity, whereby suture linesjare produced'; andifin'allyproducing at least one course byrotation on the-circle or arcuate lines of needles.

In order; to ensure a goodsuture itis pre-'- ferred that during the" production of the pocket there shall be an overlap, at' the suture lines, of at least one needle between the loop-holding and the actingneedles. To producethisoverlap; during the aforesaid progressive variation Figures 2; 3; 4i and 5' show a. portion of. a suture line in four alternative forms: ofpouch; Figure- 6 shows-in the upper parta. development=of one-of thesepouches (e. g.', theheel pouch) and below I it a development-oi the knittingca-msr Figure 7 is a continuation-oi Fig. (i showing certain cams and pickers, and alongside said cams a view of aneedle and a jack.

Figures 8 and 9 show the operation of anuppicker which picks up three-quarter butts from the, leading end of'the active group of heeling needles during narrowing.

FigureslO and" 11 show the operation-of an upepicker. which picks, up three-quarter butts iromthe trailing end ofsaidgroup.

Figures 12, 13 and 14, 151 show the operations on half butts.

Figures 16- and 17, are respectively perspective views of; the leading and trailing-.up pickers and associated; mechanism, and

Figures 18, and lQ are respectively. perspective views; of. the: trailin and leading down: pickers and associated mechanisrn;

Figures 20 and-21: arerespectively. views of; the picking ends of; the. up-pickers. shown in; Figs. 1'6 and 17 and. also illustrate the shapeof the ends of the down. pickers;

Figme-22 showsrtheend of a trailing; picker for the production of or'Fig. 52

Figures- 23 and 24 are perspective views: of

the pouch shownv in: Fig. 4

relevant parts of the head of the machine, looking from opposite sides.

Figure 25 is a general view of the machine, showing the control mechanism for the beating yarn fingers;

Figures 26 and 27 are perspective views showing details of the yarn-feeding and cutting mechanism;

Figure 28 is a detail of the cutter.,

The article It illustrated in Fig. 1 is provided with a heel pouch H with suture lines t2, and a toe pouch l3 with suture lines l4. These pockets are of substantially normal appearance but instead of being knitted by reciprocation they are knitted by rotation. To do so, at the commencement of the pocket the instep needles included under the bracket A in Figs-6 and 7 are moved to a position in which they'retain their loops and knitting is continued on the pocket needles B, C, B while rotation continues. At each of various successive courses in the formation of a. pocket as illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, and 6, needles B and B are progressively moved to the loop-holding position until only the needles C are active. Thereafter the needles B and B are progressively restored to activity until all the pocket needles are active, after which the instep needles A are restored to activity also. It will therefore be appreciated that this reciprocal variation between two groups of needles, the inactive loop-holding needles and the active pocket-forming needles, results in the production of suture lines such as l2 and I4.

Since the pocket is knitted by rotation the courses of which it consists are not laid to and fro as in ordinary reciprocating knitting, butthe fed yarn after being knitted by the last active needle in one course is next knitted by the first active needle at the other end of the group of active needles in the next course. Between the two courses the fed thread is excluded from the inactive needles and. it may extend as a fioat thread from the last needle at thetrailing end of the active needles to the first needle at the leading end thereof, such floats being cut away subsequently to the completion of the article or, as is preferred, the thread may be severed at the end of each course of the pouch and the cut end re-introduced at the first needle of the next course. It is preferred to make use of beating feeder; that is to say a thread feeder which is moved into and out of the operative position to feed thread only to those needles which are to knit (e. g., by the employment of mechanism substantially as described in my prior U. S. Patent No. 2,295,450 granted September 8, 1942.

The rotatable needle cylinder 29 is provided with a circular series or full complement of needles 2| having alternate long and short butts 21a, and beneath each needle in the same trick there is a jack 22 the butts 22a of which are of contrasting length also. The jacks beneath the inste needles Aall have long butts 22a; the jacks beneath the needles B and B have alternate three-quarter and short butts, while the jacks beneath the needles C have either alternate three-quarter and short butts or all have threequarter butts. It is these jacks which are employed to eifect the progressive reciprocal exchange of needles between loop-holding inactivrebate 28' which is arranged to miss the short needle butts. Thus every second needle is lowered by cam 28 to a slightly greater extent than every intervening needle. This effects a division which permits the feeding eye of the yarn feeder III] to move between the needles into and out of operative position, the yarn being taken by the needles as their butts descend cam 29. During rotational knitting the butts 22a, of all the jacks traverse a low track 26 below the knitting cams just mentioned and below guard cam 34, but the long "butt jacks of the instep needles A are engaged by a cam 32 and are raised to a track from which they are lowered to track 26 by bolt cam 33 underneath the clearing cam 21. The three-quarter and short butts of the jacks passv said cam 32 and remain in track 26.

' At the commencement of a pocket the bolt cam 33' is withdrawn so that the long butt jacks continue along the track 25 over guard cam 34 which is arranged beneath the knitting cams. This cam has a V-shaped recess 35 immediately below the apex of cam 29. As the needles A descend cam 29 they are lowered on to the jacks 22 and the latter are caused to pass down to the apex of the recess 35, but as the jack butts travel up the further slope of the V the needles are raised and their butts are passed up a gap 36 between the cams 29, 30, the said butts being -jacks of needles B, B.

raised by said cam 30 to a loop-retaining idle track 24. Thus all the inste needles are caused to hold their loops, the other needles continuing down cam 30 to knit. The bolt cam 3! is also inserted to a sufiicient extent to engage the three-quarter butts'of the jacks B, B, and to raise them to a picking level indicated at 38, the short jack butts passing said cam 31. Thus the division is effected between odd and even The division is cancelled by cam 4| and the first course of the pouch proper is knitted on needles B, B after which the division is again made. The three-quarter butt jacks elevated to the picking level 38 (which may be considered to be the odd jacks) are then operated on by up-pickers 39 and 40. The picker 40 picks up the first two three-quarter butts of I the group B from level 38 to level 25 as shown in Figs. 8 and 9 and the picker 39 picks the last two-th-ree-quarter butts of group B from level 38 to level 25 as shown in Figs. 10 and 11, so that the four needle butts associated therewith are caused to pass up the gap 36 and the picked needles hold their loops in the second course. That is to say, the first and third needles at each end of the pouch needles are selected to hold their loops. The cam 3'! is now pushed right in to raise all the jack butts of active needles to picking height 38, said butts being lowered by cam 4!. After the third course has been knitted in this manner the pickers 39, 40 are again rendered operative to pick the first two short butts (Figs. 12 and 13) and the last two short butts (Figs. 14 and 15). That is to say, the butts associated with the second and fourth needles from each end of the group of heeling needles then active are picked. Cam 31 is now Withdrawn to miss the short butts and the fourth loourse is knitted on the remaining active pouch needles. This sequence of picking is continued untilzall the needles B and B have been moved to the loop-holding track.

The sequence of picking is therefore needles 1 and 3; 2 and 4; 5 and 7; 6 and 8 and so on, the odd numbered needles being those whereof the jacks 22 have three-quarter butts and'the ciated' with needlesB' down to theitra'chi 262 a result the associated needles descendfthe" cam ema see (such loopsibeing actually accumulated: on the third; seventh and eleventh, etc; needles)". This;

iSi ShOWHzlIi Fig: 2, wherein;the.= needle wales and;

courses; are numbered consecutively;

Thegthreadrfeedersuch. asfll I a (Fig. 25):- moves;

into: operation as the first. of: the; active much m the. loop-holding, position it: is, necessary to.

r eintroduce them: pnogressively into activity. They areire-introducedin the samelsequencegbx downpickers 42, 43; that is. to say.- the picking sequence is 1 and 3', 2 and 4, etc.,,at theleading end of groupB' and at thetrailing end of group B. At leastronev course is knittedwonthe remain ing active needlesiC, the cam 3l being withdrawn to miss the three-quarter butts:- Dl'vlding. cams Mlv and. 45' are pushed part-way in and remain for two courses. The cams 44f raises thelongv and? three-quarter hutts-fromtrack 2 5.; the long butts are, immediately returned'by cam 15;- but the three-quarter butts continue until? lowered I by cam 27 and by the. actionof; the needles d'escending cams 28 and'ZS. The short butts miss. the cam 44" and continueat the down-picking level in track 2-5. In the second of these. two courses the down-pickers 42'; 4'3.'are rend'eredoperative to pick the last two short butts associated with" needles B andthe firsttwov short'jbutts assotfl and are re-introduced: intoknittlng? activity. For the third and fourth-courses of/the series of fourcourses earns 44; 45" are' retracted to" miss the three-quarter jack butts 'sd that? the three quarter and'half butts continue atfthev picking level' In the third course" thedown pickers 42: 4 3 are inactive; hut they are'rendered active after thefourth course has" been knitted-t0 pick dew-n respectively the last two three-qua-rter butts of the jacks of group B and the first two th-ree quarter buttsof the jacks of group' B". four-course sequence" continues until all pouchneedlesare re-introdllced into knittingthe narrowing.

*Ih modificationillustrated in Figure 3: at

SiD'SJGGd courses throughouttlienarrowing and widening ofi the peuch all the-einactive needles are caused to limit, for example by retractingthat part of cam wthat is indicated} at fl Reference will now bemade tb the ccnstruc than of the leading end pickers 1 40' and 4 3 and the trailing end pickers 33 and: 42- (Figs; 1'6-"-2 1) Figure 20is an enlarged view- 0f the=pickingrend of-fipiekerlll; It will be seen that: ito is provided with arr-ledge Illl'a of s-ufii'cient length to-- receive:

two of the jaclr butts 22d and, being drivenrby theefirst of saidi butts, operates -inthewell lmown-v manner. Down-picker m is of substantially simi lai construction as -may-be seen from Fig. 19;

and Fig ZO -maybe considered tobe an inverted view I thereon Fig; 2 i 15 an enlarged view: of the pibki l'i'gt end of the trailing: up-picker 39; It} will? be:- seen -t-iiat' this picker is provided-iwith a: ledge 392mm sufllcient width: te receive: one of the jack:

butts; a drivingprojectioniw: adaptedth enten Between two" consecutive liuttsat'rthe pickingdeveh (which, owing: to the division: illustrated in Pier 10'} is: equivalent to that betweemtwo odd or even: butts) a recess 39c t'olaccommodate-the trailing: end butt, and aplatf'orm 39a for ridingcm the underside-0f the line of butts passing: said picker. The operation ofthe'picher is-as follows: When:- the picker i's-renderedoperative theaplatformella rises against the underside of the butts -whi'chpass-along over -it andprevent the pickeroperat ing-untilthe last. two butts, travelling from right; to= left, arrive at tlie positionin which they: are shown in Fig; 10. The-projection;39b thereupon enters betweensaid butts and these: butts drive the picker to make its: picking movement; The end of the down picker fl-is of substantially sim-iilar inverted construction: as may be seen from Fi 18;

A further modified heel pocket isillustrated in -Fig. 4: Here the pickingtsequence; is 2; 1; 4;, 3t 6; 5, etc-.: For this: purpose the leading; end pickers are similarto-tho'se shown in Figs; 16; 18 and 20 except that the: ledge is: of suilicientwidth to accommodate onebutt only: The end' of a trailingend picken 39 islillustratedibyway of example in Fig: 22. It will be. seenthatthe ledge 38w-is omitted; but the driving projection 39b tiI'IGFbUtU-I'EGBSS 39c, and the platform 39c are retainedl This figure-may, betakenias showing an; inverted: view of a: trailing down-pickers,- and fur-then details of said; trailing up-pickers and down-pickers are asshown in Figs 17 and 19. In Fig. 4 there is adlfferencebetween the wales 3 and l #and the- -wale H because at spaced revolutions the: machine needles are caused" to knit. o

A still further modified form of= pouch:is sho,wn in 5. Here the-pickingsequence is 3- and'4, 1 and-'2, land 8, 5-and 6; etc';, and forthis purpose instead of the three quarter andi halt butts ofthe jacks 22 assoeiatediwith the needlesB' and. B being-alternated 1 and 1 they are alternated- 2 and- 2 'in the needlecylinder.

Itwill-be seen that a characteristic of :the fab ri'cs s-hown in Figs; 2-5 isgtha't in certain courses, both" during narrowing and widening,- there is an overlap' between the active and the IOOIT-hOld'eingneedles.

The tip-pickers" 3'9 and 40 are showm intheir inoperative position in Fig. 7 They are: cone trolled irom the drum ll3 by-lever44', link-A5! and bell-crank-lever 46 which slidesav ring. 41 againsttheactionof a spring. 48: (Fig.1 2B). This rinig is connected by- 1inka49 to a lever? 50 pivoted to -thei platform: St at: 52:. Mhvementiofci theiring 41 to the left Fig. 23, rocks the lever 50 and causes the leading picker 40 to swing up guide cam 53 to the inoperative position, the said pick- When the the picker down the cam 53 to its operativepo sition resting on guide cam 58, where it is ready to pick the first two butts meeting it. The trailing picker 39 is likewise pivoted at 53 to a block 50 pivoted to the platform at 5|. Its outer end is connected by spring 62 to an E-shaped lever 63 which is pivoted at 64 to a bracket 55 on the platform 5| and which is drawndownwards by a tension spring 55. The said lever 53 thus holds the picking end of the picker 39 in the operative position in which when the projection 39b engages between the butts the said picker is free to swing up the guide cam 61. When the ring 41 is moved to the right, Fig. 23, a wedge 68 thereon is inserted beneath the lower end 63a of one arm of the- E-shaped lever 63 and the latter is raised as shown in Fig. 17 so that the spring 62,,causes the picking end of picker 39 to be lowered to its inoperativeposition. The down pickers 42, 43 are controlled-by a similar ring 41', drawn towards the left in Fig. 24 and the right in Figs. 18 and 19 by spring 59, and controlled from the drum II3 by lever IOI and 1inkI02. Trailing down-picker 42 is pivoted at ID to block 'II which is pivoted at I2 to the platform 5|, and the outer end of the picker is connected by tension spring I3 to a lever I4 pivoted at 75 to a lug IS on said platform. Move ment of the ring 47' to the right. in Fig. 18 brings a headed pin 11 carried by the ring over a V- shaped recess 14a in lever I4 so that the latter is free to rise under the influence of a compression spring I8 whereby the picking end of the picker 42 is lowered to picking position. Thus when the picker engages a butt it swings on its pivots I0, I2 and travels obliquely downwards along the face of guide cam I5. The leading down-picker 43 is likewise pivoted at 80 to a blockSI pivoted to the platform 5| at 82. Its outer end is connected by a tension spring 83 to a lever 84 pivoted at 85 to lug 86 on the platform 5|. Movement of the ring 4'! to the right (Fig. 19) carries a headed pin 8'I on the ring into engagement with an inclined face 84a on the lever 84 and lowers the said lever against the action of compression spring 88 so that by the action of the spring 83 the picking end of the picker 43 .is pulled upwards to its operative position underneath a guard cam 90. In that position the picker is free to pick obliquely down the face of guide cam 89. I

The cam 33 is arranged to be pushed inwards by a bell-crank-lever SI and push rod 92, Fig. 24, operated from the drum II3. The dividing cam 31 is pushed inwards by lever 93, Fig. 23, bars 94 and 95 operated by lever 96 from said drum II3. A pin 97 protrudes from the bar 95 through a slot 98 in bar 94 and is connected to said bar 94 by spring 99. When the lever 90 is moved by the first half of a stepped cam on drum II3 the spring 99 is sufiiciently strong to carry bar 95 with it and to rock lever 93 to push in the cam 31. Further movement of the bar 94 on the sec= 0nd half of the stepped cam introduces cams 44 and by means of a lever I00 (Fig. 24) I The mechanism, Fig. 25, by which the feeders IIO are controlled from the drum H3 is substantiallysimilar to that employed on Scott 8; Williams machines for splicing, and consists of a horizontally guided 1bar I40 extending fore-and-aft of the machine, and adjustable lengthwise by a cam |4| at the rear, this cam being stepped round at appropriate intervals by mechanism well understood in the art. The shape of this cam MI is such as to determine the shapes of the spliced areas 8 and 9 (Fig. 1) and also the dwell of the appropriate feeder in the feeding position during the production of the pockets II and I3. On the bar I40 a substantially horizontal lever I42 is pivoted intermediate its ends, which I lever I42 when rocked on its pivot (as it is on each revolution on the main shaft I44) serves by means of a cross lever I24 to raise the push rod IIIx (Fig. 26) to withdraw the pouch feeder IIOa or the splicing feeder I|0b. rock this lever I42 there is an operating cam I43 on the main shaft I44 which operates a substantially vertical rock arm I45. This rock arm I45 carries a lift plate I46 which engages a nose I41 on the front end of lever I42. Obviously according to the endwise adjustment of the slide bar I40, as determined by cam I4I, the rock lever I42 is thus engaged and raised earlier or later in the forward stroke of the rock arm I45. It will therefore be obvious that the time that the selected feeder dwells in the feeding position in each revolution is controlled. It may be mentioned that the initial introduction of the selected feeder and its final removal from operation is governed by cams I48 operating through push rods such as III,a and HM). (Fig. 26.)

The lift plate I46 is provided with two levels, one of which eifects the first portion of the lift of the operative feeder towards the inoperative position, and the second portion of which effects the closure of a cutter I29, I30 to cut the Withdrawn thread. It will be seen from Fig. 26 that each of the push rods IIIa and III I) is stepped and a pin 200 projects from rod IIIm across said step. Thus whichever of these rods IIIa or II It is raised by a cam I I2 to raise a feeder to inoperative position the rod I I la: is raised also (to operate the cutter), and when the rod IIIa: is raised in each revolution a pin 200 serves to raise that feeder which is operative.

The cutting mechanism is substantially similar to that described in my above mentioned prior U. S. Patent No. 2,295,450, but somewhat modified to adapt it better to the functions that it now has to perform. Pivoted to the latch guard ring I2I at I25 there is a knife arm I26 carrying a knife block I27 which is equipped with a stationary knife I29 and a movable knife I30, the latter being movable by plunger I3I engaged by a lever IBI pivoted to the knife arm I25 at I62. The outer end of said lever IBI overlies an adjustable tappet I28 in an arm H6 which arm is pivoted to-the feeder bracket II5 at II4; the said tappet .I2 8 normally rests on the latch ring |2I and determines the rest position of the arm II5. The latter is also provided with an adjustable tappet III overlying the end of push rod III 1:, the arrangement being such that when the push rod IIIa: is raised the operative feeder is raised towards the non-feeding position by pin 200, the arm H6 is raised shortly afterwards, and finally the cutter l29, I30 is operated to cut the withdrawn thread. The arm II 6 likewise has two feeder eyes I22a |22b and tension devices II9a and II9b (each consisting of a pair of cymbals) the yarn riinning through the appropriate eye I22a or I22b, device I I9a or I I to the eye ofthe feeder II 0aor IIOb. As either feeder is lowered In order to,

,stantially intheIform of a diamond. U

device I it being drawn back through the feeder.

eye. i I a Fig. .25 shows the knifearm r26 raisedntc in -operative position, thepush zrod hi9 resting on cam :l 48;when the operationiof the cutter in each course is unnecessary.

It will be obvious that'irrespective of which -feeder -'l a,- Hillb is :emplo'yedpthat zfeeder is withdrawn and the cutter 1'29, .450 is operated when the push rod '1 l lxiis' raised. Since thewtwo feeders feed theiriyarn's at diiferent angles,izit is advisable to:- provide means' fonensuring' that' each yarn istaken correctlynby the cutter. This-is best achieved by shaping the cutterblade 1 2:9 asis'hown indottedlinesin FigLZB. I

lit-is further advisable t'o provide nieans torsio- 'cating the -cut end of yarn at the inside or the needle -circle, 'so that when the withdrawn ieede'r is re-introduced the yarn will be introduced with certainty to the correct needle. This means is shown in Fig. '27 as consisting of tiivo members 103,164 between whichtheyarn iscarried'asthe feederrises and as the rotation at the cylinder carries the yarn into the-knives I 29, 130.

"In a modification, all the needles other than 'a'g'r'oupat theback .oft'the leg-(eg needles C) "are'moved to loop-h'olding position, widening is effected by gradually introducing into activity needles vfrom the ends of "the inactive group; narrowing is effected 'by gradually moving needles at the ends of the active group to .f.loop-holding Tposition, (e. g,, until all"theineedles other than 'the'iirst group are inactive) and all the inactive needles are then re-introducejd into activitvtthese changes being effected during rotation. "This produces a pocket with the suture lines disposed sub- During the leg and foot, the 'j'a'ck'butts may be ,permitted to remain at leve1 26 throughout each complete revolution, by withdrawing cams and r31. i

I claim: v i

1. A method =ofproducing by rotation, on a circular knitting maclriine, :apockec in a substantially tubular and circular-knit article, 'which comprises knitting "at least' one course by rotation on the arcuate series of needles, thereafter during rotation excluding the fed thread from a progressively varying (i. e., decreasing and in creasing or increasing and decreasing) number of the needles and causing the varying number of needles from which the thread is excluded to hold their loops until they resume knitting activity, whereby suture lines are produced, manipulating the needles to produce a locked loop formation along the suture lines, and finally producin at least one course by rotation on the circle or arcuate series of needles.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein, during the production of the pocket, there is an overlapat the suture lines of at least one needle between the loop-holding and the active needles.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein. during the aforesaid gradual variation, spaced needles at each end of the active group of needles are changed over, in the order first and third, second and fourth, fifth and seventh, and so on, from activity to loop holding and vice versa according to whether narrowing or widening is being efiected.

ducing a locked loop 4. A method according :to .claim 1, including the :steps of cutting the fed thread at the end of each course-of thepocket andintroducing the cut end to the needles at the beginning of'tlie anarticle byrotation, characterised by the=combination of a knitting track for rotary knitting and'a loop-holding track, mechanism for diverting a group ofneedles at the commencement' of a pouch from the knitting-trackto the-loop-holding track,:leaving a'group of needles intheknitting track, mechanism for changing the *needles at the ends .of these 'groups between the -.two tracks, first in one direction and then in the other, while rotary knitting continues in the vproduction of a pouch withsuture lines and iorprostructure .along said suture lines, and mechanism for returning the first said from the loop-holding track-to :7. A mac 'ne according to claim .5, having change-over mechanism for effecting a progressive reciprocal variation between groups of loopholding and :active'needles by changing .over end needles of-theigroups from one afunction to the other, which mechanism operates in alternating courses on a needle spaced inwards-'from-theend of one-of the groups and on, theendneedle, for

' the time being, of said group wherebythe ends of the two groups 1 are caused to overlap as they ,are-reciprocably varied. 1

*8. A machine according to claim- 6, having change-over mechanism, operable during rotation at both ends :of one "of the aforesaid groupsc-f i needles, .for effecting a progressive reciprocal variationbetweengroupsof loopeholdingandactive needles by changing over endineedles of said groups from one function to the other, which mechanism comprises means for changing over. in alternating courses, the end needles of said one group and a needle spaced inward from each end of said group, and for thereby causing the ends of the two groups to overlap as they are reciprocally varied.

9. A machine accordin to claim 5, comprising a feeder for feeding a thread to the needles in the production of the pocket, a cutter for cutting the fed thread extending from the last needle, for the time being, of the active group, and means for operating said cutter.

10. A machine according to claim 5, incorporating butts associated with the needles and picker mechanism for operating at the leading and trailing endsof a group of needles in narrowing and widening the pocket, which mechanism comprises a trailing-end picker having a driving member for engagement in front of a butt to be picked, and a positioning surface for engaging with the butts asrelative movement occurs between them and the picker and for thereby preventing engagement of the driving member until said relative movement terminates the engagement between the butts and positioning surface.

11. In a circular knitting machine of the kind having a needle bed, relatively-rotatable needleoperating and thread-feeding means, needles in the bed, and butts or their equivalent associated with the needles; mechanism for producing a pocket with suture lines in the article during rotary knitting by dividing theneedles into an active group and an inactive group and by effecting the reciprocal exchange of needles between the ends of the groups in narrowing and widening the pocket, which mechanism includes dividing means for operating in spaced courses to divide alternate butts of a group of needles between a picking level and a non-picking level, means for directing all said butts into the picking level in intervening courses, and a picker for picking the end butt from the picking level in said spaced and intervenin courses whereby a butt inwards from the end of the said group is picked in said spaced courses and the end butt is picked in said intervening courses.

12. A machine according to claim 5, having a divided stitch cam afiording a butt passage between its two parts, and means for passing the butts of the loop-holding needles throughsaid passage in the production of the pocket, the other needles completing the descent of the cam to knit. 13. A machine according to claim 5, having butts on the needles, jacks beneath the needles, butts on the jacks, a divided stitchcam affording a butt passage through it, two tracks for the jack butts, one for the and the other for the jack; butts of loop-holding needles, means for changing overthe jack butts from one track to the other, and a jack raising cam in the second-mentioned jack butt track for elevating the jacks and associated needles and for thereby diverting the'butts of said needles through the butt passage.

14. In a circular knitting machine havinga needle bed and relatively-rotatable needle operating means and thread feeding means, and needles in the bed, for knitting an article by rotation; mechanism for producing a pocket having suture lines in the article during rotational knitting, said mechanism comprising means for causing reciprocally-varyin proportions of the needles to hold their loops and to continue to knit during rotation and for projack butts of active needles ducing anoverlap between the active and inactive needles, and a beating feeder for feeding thread excluding it from the last needle, for the time being, of the active group, means for operating said cutter at each rotation during the production of the pocket, and means for introducing the cut end of thread to the first needle, for the time being, of the active group at the next rotation.

16. A seamless hose or half hose machine for knitting an article of footwear by rotation and having a needle bed and relatively-rotatable needle-operating cams and thread feeder, and needles in the bed; characterized by mechanism for knitting a pouch having suture lines in said article during rotation, which mechanism comprises means for dividing the needles into active and inactive groups by moving needles to a loopholding position, means for effecting an exchange of the end needles between the two groups in effecting a reciprocal variation thereof to shape the pocket and to produce suture lines, means for restricting the fed thread to the active needles, means for producing loop accumulations along the suture lines, and means for restoring inactive needles en masse to activity at the termination of the pocket.

17. A circular knitting machine, having a needle bed and relatively rotatable needle-operating means for knitting an article by rotation, needles in the bed, and mechanism for knitting a pocket having suture lines in the article during rotation, said mechanism including means for causing reciprocally-varying proportions of the needles to hold their loops and to continue to knit during rotation, a feeder for introducing a yarn in each rotation to the needles that continue to knit and for Withdrawing it so that it is excluded from the loop-holding needles, means for severing the withdrawn yarn at each rotation, and means for reducing, subsequent to severance, the length of yarn extending from the feeder to the severed end for presentation of the reduced yarn end to the said knitting needles at the next rotatio BERNARD THORNTON COLE. 

